JP-2003-120231A (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,080 B2) describes a valve timing controller which controls opening and closing timing of a valve driven by a driven shaft by changing a rotation phase of the driven shaft to a driving shaft of an internal combustion engine. The opening and closing timing is changed by changing a pressure of oil in the advance chamber and the retard chamber in the housing so as to rotate the vane rotor relative to the housing. The relative rotation of the vane rotor to the housing is limited when the vane part of the vane rotor contacts the partition part of the housing.
When the oil pressure is comparatively low in each oil pressure chamber, for example, immediately after the engine start, the vane rotor may have an abnormal movement due to variation torque transmitted from the camshaft to the vane rotor. At this time, the vane part of the vane rotor may collide with the partition part of the housing, so the vane rotor and the housing may be damaged.